1930 Cord L-29 Town Car

The effects of the Great Depression were deepening and a toll was to be exacted all around. To remain in business, industries had to become creative and maximize every angle possible. For Errett Cord, that opportunity rested with Hollywood, and Cord had the perfect car to capture the market and propel his image forward.

The chassis would be called the L-29 and it was meant to bridge the gap between the Auburn automobiles and the mighty Duesenbergs. However, the L-29 was no stop-gap measure. The L-29 would end up the foundation for elite Sedans, Broughams, Convertibles, Coupes, and Phaetons.

The grandest examples of them all would have to be four Town Cars supplied to custom coachbuilders. And, perhaps, one of the greatest of them all would have to be a Town Car with coachwork from Murphy & Co.

Chassis 2926823 would be among the most exceptional of all automobiles, let alone Cord. A little more than 5,000 examples of the L-29 would be produced over the course of production and only a very few would ever end up in the hands of custom coachbuilders. Among those 5,000, only about 300 examples of the L-29 remain. Thankfully, of the greatest and grandest, the Model L-29 Murphy Town Car, there are apparently still four in existence. One of them is 2926823.

Cord played to the Hollywood elite and the Town Car would be considered the ultimate in luxurious pleasure. Jay Hyde would recognize the status derived from the imposing Town Car and would have one commissioned to be built by Murphy & Co.

Considered the coachbuilder of choice for Duesenberg, Murphy & Co. was certainly recognized for producing some of the most opulent and luxurious coaches in the United States. The Town Car would be an interesting mixture. Sitting behind the long, narrow nose, the driver sat exposed just ahead of a comfortable enclosed interior. It was, from many angles, a sporty and aggressive-looking machine. But then, from other angles, it appeared, and was, one of the most impressive estate cars around. It is considered one of the most beautiful and elegant American cars ever built.

Of the four Town Cars that are known to exist, two were apparently owned by actors John Barrymore and Dolores Del Rio. It is widely accepted that this particular chassis belonged to Dolores Del Rio sporting a shorter wheelbase and rear-mounted spare tires, unlike Barrymore's examples which was longer in wheelbase and had rear-mounted spare tires.

During the glitzy pre-war days of Hollywood, the Town Car would have been a sight in and of itself. By the end of the Second World War, the car would be found all the way up in the northwest of the country and the property of Fred Thorsen.

In 1959, Jay Hyde would purchase the Town Car and the Cord would remain in the family for more than five decades. For the most part, the car remained hidden away in seclusion. It wasn't lost or forgotten about; it just wasn't seen. Then, in 1987, a glorious day would dawn when the car emerged alongside other Cords at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.

Last seen publicly in 2000, the 1930 Cord still remained highly original. And, while there would be clear evidence of the originality of the car with some deteriorating features, the car was as grand as ever.

Sympathetically cleaned and maintained throughout the years, 2926823 retains its original look and feel and instantly transports gawkers back to another period. Cord would eventually dissolve into memory. However, Cord's marketing strategy was right. There is no way of looking at the Town Car and not remembering the days of Hollywood's golden age.

Offered via Bonhams' 2015 Amelia Island auction, the 1930 Cord Model L-29 Town Car would be a unique opportunity to own a stately, highly-original Cord. When the bidding came to an end, the final sale price would be $1,760,000, inclusive of the buyer's premium.

By Jeremy McMullen